What is with the complaint about "filler?" It's a sitcom. Since when have we ever cared what happened in any individual episode of a sitcom? Every episode is "filler" in that they're just filling the required number of episodes to complete their contract for the season.

We've known since last summer that this final season would take place entirely at the wedding weekend, over the course of three days. We know that Ted meets the mother on the train platform after the wedding festivities. So presumably, their meeting will be the season finale. It doesn't matter if there are 3 episodes or 30 episodes leading up to that, it's not going to happen any sooner.

But as we've seen, the episodes that have taken place solely at the Farhampton Inn are getting tedious and stupid, so I'm totally in favor of any episode that gets the gang back into their regular routines and regular daily lives in order to "fill" an episode. At least these "filler" episodes are much better than anything going on at the Farhampton Inn.

What is with the complaint about "filler?" It's a sitcom. Since when have we ever cared what happened in any individual episode of a sitcom? Every episode is "filler" in that they're just filling the required number of episodes to complete their contract for the season.

We've known since last summer that this final season would take place entirely at the wedding weekend, over the course of three days. We know that Ted meets the mother on the train platform after the wedding festivities. So presumably, their meeting will be the season finale. It doesn't matter if there are 3 episodes or 30 episodes leading up to that, it's not going to happen any sooner.

But as we've seen, the episodes that have taken place solely at the Farhampton Inn are getting tedious and stupid, so I'm totally in favor of any episode that gets the gang back into their regular routines and regular daily lives in order to "fill" an episode. At least these "filler" episodes are much better than anything going on at the Farhampton Inn.

Please don't include me in "we". There's been plenty of sitcom episodes I've cared about what happened. For example, I cared that Henry Blake was killed in MASH. You all can deny it all you want, but this a semi serialized series that is leading to a conclusion. Many episodes have advanced the story line in that direction. Even the show runners have said so. So, yes, any episode that doesn't advance the story line is "filler". There is some good filler and some bad filler. IMO I thought this past episode was good filler.

Please don't include me in "we". There's been plenty of sitcom episodes I've cared about what happened. For example, I cared that Henry Blake was killed in MASH. You all can deny it all you want, but this a semi serialized series that is leading to a conclusion. Many episodes have advanced the story line in that direction. Even the show runners have said so. So, yes, any episode that doesn't advance the story line is "filler". There is some good filler and some bad filler. IMO I thought this past episode was good filler.

Because this is the last season and many of us want to see a progressing romance with the Mother. We don't want it to just end without some sort of satisfaction of seeing them together for a while. They need to move the story along because they are running out of episodes to show us story related content.

Because this is the last season and many of us want to see a progressing romance with the Mother. We don't want it to just end without some sort of satisfaction of seeing them together for a while.

They need to move the story along because they are running out of episodes to show us story related content.

If there were any hope of Ted meeting the Mother before the last episode, I'd totally agree with you. I wish the creators weren't so stuck on the idea of this entire series being about Ted telling his kids all the events that lead up to him meeting their mother. I think the show would be much better with a final season showing Ted and the Mother dating and seeing her being integrated into the group, and I think Bays and Thomas made a mistake by taking the title of the series so literally.

However, we know that's not going to happen. So that means that every episode this season is "filler" leading up to that final episode. I personally don't care what they fill those episodes with. I have no specific hopes for where the story will go. We know that there will be a wedding, a reception, and then Ted will go to the Farhampton train station in the rain and will meet the Mother. Whether those things take up one episode or ten doesn't matter to me.

What I do wish is that since they've clearly made the decision not to have Ted and the Mother spend any real time together during the run of the series, that they would have more episodes showing us the flash forwards of Ted and the Mother together, and especially some flash forwards of the whole gang together. But because of the way those flash forwards have been structured, they could be put into any episode, even one that doesn't otherwise "advance" the story, so I'm not looking for any kind of plot advancements from any of these final episodes.

I wish the creators weren't so stuck on the idea of this entire series being about Ted telling his kids all the events that lead up to him meeting their mother. I think the show would be much better with a final season showing Ted and the Mother dating and seeing her being integrated into the group...

I completely agree. If we take it literally, we already know when, where, and "how" he meets the mother.

When: after Barney and Robin's wedding
Where: Farhampton Train platform.
"How": everything leading up to him getting to the wedding, and being alone on the platform afterwards.

They have already told us the answers...but I'm with you, I want them to veer off the literal premise a bit more and show the romance and group integration. I guess that's part of my frustration....they're not sticking literally to the title, so why not go a little farther and give us that extra time with the mother?

I don't know... I'm just bored of all the drivel and am eager to see it end. I just want some closure on the person he finally meets after I've suffered through all these other boring years. There needs to be some payoff for the time I've wasted in front of my TV.